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Would like to know this, how do people get so much OBC? I book through a TA and I dont get any from them, nor anyone else. When the price drops I do get the price with no charge but just curious what I'm doing wrong. I cruise alot and I really love my TA but sometimes I would like to get that too......I see people with over $500 OBC and they love saying this on CC.

Some people have purchased 1000 shares of Royal Caribbean which gives you an OBC. The actual dollar amount depends on the length of the cruise....7 nights = $100 for example. One can no longer combine RCCL OBC's, such as a price saving offer and your shares offer; you have to choose one over the other. But you can combine an RCCL OBC with one offered by someone else.

Sometimes, the travel agency gives OBC's, for purchasing a particular cruise at a particular time. Our latest one is for $250 per cruise, with $100 off the price of each cruise if one books back-to-back. We did, and we get another $100 for each cruise from our shares in RCCL.

So: we got a back-to-back cruise with a verandah stateroom for the price of an oceanview, with $100 off the price of each cruise, followed by a combined total of $350 ($250 +$100) OBC for each cruise. This was just too good to pass up

P.S. This is an online agency which we found from these boards, not the one that is local which we have used for years....from them, I once got a $25 OBC for my birthday on board.

Some people have purchased 1000 shares of Royal Caribbean which gives you an OBC. The actual dollar amount depends on the length of the cruise....7 nights $100 for example. One can no longer combine RCCL OBC's. But you can combine an RCCL OBC with one offered by someone else.

Sometimes, the travel agency gives OBC's, for purchasing a particular cruise at a particular time. Our latest one is for $250 per cruise, with $100 off the price of each cruise if one books back-to-back. We did, and we get another $100 for each cruise from our shares in RCCL.

So: we got a back-to-back cruise with a verandah stateroom for the price of an oceanview, with $100 off of each cruise followed by a total of $350 ($250 +$100) OBC for each cruise. This was just too good to pass up

P.S. This is an online agency which we found from these boards, not the one that is local which we have used for years....from them, I once got a $25 OBC for my birthday on board.

We use an online agency. When we book on board, we also have the reservation transferred to an agent. Last time we booked on board we got $300 OBC, then our agent gave us prepaid gratuities for the booking....very nice!

We usually get a nice OBC (10%?) from our TA, but it depends on the cost of the cruise as to how much. Our previous brick and mortar TA said that she just could not do any rebate....so, after 20 years with her I decided to cut ties. (maybe sometime I did get a bottle of wine, but now always). Our new TA is also one that advertises on line and I know many here on CC use her.
We also get the $250 from RCCL stock, and also from our AMEX points cashed in.
OBC's are nice! It all adds up.

In my parents' case: We booked directly through Celebrity. A couple of months later, they ran a senior special on veranda cabins... we upgraded them from an oceanview to a veranda and got a $560 OBC! It was a great treat for them.

We were not so lucky - we saw sales, but they were for 'new bookings only'. Since we are not seniors, we do not usually get OBC's. When we have flexibility in future, we will wait until later to book - and definitely book on a Tuesday, since that seems to be when Celebrity offers their specials.

We have had a couple of great upgrades on other cruise lines (one from an inside cabin to a B8 veranda = 10 category upgrade)! They were only when we booked directly with the cruise line. It is my preference to book directly, unless a good TA has a GREAT deal.

I also dropped my local TA for my next upcoming cruise, when I first talked to her about booking she wouldn't let go of any OBC-so I cancelled after several others on these boards offered advice. I used a big box agency that got me 166.00 and half the price on the travel insurance that my old TA was offering, I also noticed at my time of booking X had a OBC, the big-box TA called X and got us an additional 100.00 from X, leaving me with a total OBC of 266.00. The big-box TA also told me if there where additional discounts after final payment they would try to get those for us, since we qualify for certain discounts that don't usually show up till final payment. I was sad to let go of my local TA, but business is business....Good luck!

Booked a 14 day on board and received a two category upgrade and a $300 OBC. Transferred to a .com agency and received free gratuities and a $75 OBC since she was able to place us into a group. You just need to shop around. Warning, sometimes you may sacrifice service for OBCs. Since I enjoy making my own arrangements price wins, but it might be different for others.

We use an online TA that also has a real brick and mortar place in one of the western states with 2 words. We have used them for over 12 years. They used to rebate their entire commission minus a $50 admin fee pp. Since RCL and X no longer allow agents to do this, she gives us the equivalent in OBC. We are booked on Connie for the 7/9/11 Norway/Artic circle cruise in a C3 cabin (concierge) and she gave us $600 OBC for us which is about a 10% discount off the fare per person and we also got $100 from X for initially the cruise while onbaord the Infinity last Feb.

We swear by our rep and would never leave her.

__________________
Leesie6351 -made it to all 7 continents!! been to the bottom of the world on Infinity 2/11- sailed to the top 7/11 on Constellation

We use an online TA that also has a real brick and mortar place in one of the western states with 2 words. We have used them for over 12 years. They used to rebate their entire commission minus a $50 admin fee pp. Since RCL and X no longer allow agents to do this, she gives us the equivalent in OBC. We are booked on Connie for the 7/9/11 Norway/Artic circle cruise in a C3 cabin (concierge) and she gave us $600 OBC for us which is about a 10% discount off the fare per person and we also got $100 from X for initially the cruise while onbaord the Infinity last Feb.

We swear by our rep and would never leave her.

Can you give more hints as to the TA? Sounds like it's worth looking in to yours.

We usually get a nice OBC (10%?) from our TA, but it depends on the cost of the cruise as to how much. Our previous brick and mortar TA said that she just could not do any rebate....so, after 20 years with her I decided to cut ties. (maybe sometime I did get a bottle of wine, but now always). Our new TA is also one that advertises on line and I know many here on CC use her.
We also get the $250 from RCCL stock, and also from our AMEX points cashed in.
OBC's are nice! It all adds up.

You just need to keep searching for the agency that offers onboard credit

We met a TA in the CL on one of our cruises. I tend to make the booking with the cruise line and then when it all looks right, I transfer it to him. He gives me OBC out of his commission. I once had a $500 OBC direct from Royal, but my medical bills were a lot higher than that.

1. I cruise often but not in expensive cabins. So would someone get a decent OMB for a inside cabin?

2. Has anyone had to use these on line TA that give great OBC for something, like a problem that has occured and need your TA to help out? Like being stranded somewhere and getting back to the states, or air strike or a problem with your cruise?

3. Do they charge you for cancelling your cruise or each time you want to make a change?

It seemed when I reviewed the prices on the cruise for future bookings the price was really much higher and I book the same cruise later for a lot less........I mean it could be over $800.00 plus.....saving.

I am on the threads all the time, I guess I need to pay more attention. I dont want Insurance I like my private company I use but OBC I would

As already noted there can be several sources for OBC which can add up to significant $'s. It would be interesting if the folks stating large amounts would braek down the sources. As for me I generally book in the lower cat. cabins and based on the price I do not expect much if any OBC from the TA's though do catch prepaid grats once in a while. Last year I caught a great fare reduction after final payment (oh for the good old days) and together with another OBC it totaled to more than the final fare for the cruise but most of it was simply a return of the original cruise fare and certainly would have exaggerated my claim of OBC as generally considered.